In this engaging and well-illustrated look at the foundations of Western civilization, historians Simon Price and Peter Thonemann present a fresh perspective on classical culture in a book full of revelations about civilizations we thought we knew. Impeccably researched and immensely readable, it unfolds the ancient world and its grand cast of characters, stretching from the Greeks of myth to the world-shaping Caesars.

"Both Price and Thonemann have taught classical history at Oxford. Their relatively compact examination of ancient Greek and Roman development covers a millennium and a half. But the book is not an introductory survey aimed at general readers. Rather, the authors have written an engrossing, original, frequently provocative reinterpretation of the Western heritage. Relying heavily on archaeological evidence, Price and Thonemann consider the Minoans as essential rather than peripheral to the development of Hellenic civilization. They eloquently illustrate that the 'miracle' of the achievements of that civilization owed much to earlier Mediterranean civilizations, especially those of Egypt and Phoenicia. They skillfully illustrate the extent and limitations of 'Romanization' under the imperium. A recurrent theme is the powerful influence of memory. Despite the paucity of evidence, both Greeks and Romans often sought to identify with the legacy of the Trojan War. For both scholars and amateur historians, this work will have great value."—Booklist